AT the LOTUS FEET of the BUDDHA VENERABLE Dr
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AT THE LOTUS FEET OF THE BUDDHA VENERABLE Dr. ACHARYA BUDDHARAKKHITA Life, Teachings and Works a Buddhist monk in Modern India A Dissertation by Rev. Jeik Hyun (Won Buddhism, South Korea) Maha Bodhi Society Buddha Vachana Trust Gandhinagar, Bengaluru, India 2014 Published by Buddha Vachana Trust Maha Bodhi Society 14th Kalidasa Road, Gandhinagar Bangalore-560009, India Tel: 080 2225 0684, Fax: 080-41148440 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.mahabodhi.info On the occasion of 150th Birth Anniversary of Ven. Anagrikaà Dharmapala © Buddha Vachana Trust All rights reserved 2014 Printed at: Arvind Printers Saraswathipuram, Bengaluru - 560096 Tel: 080-23498198, Mob: 9916461691 "Sabba dànaÿ Dhamma dànam jinàti" "Among all gifts the gift of Dhamma excels ! - The Buddha With folded hands & salutations on the occasion of 1st death anniversary of Ven. Dr. Acharya Buddharakkhita This book is offered as Dhammadana by Students of Mahabodhi Mettaloka Youth Center, Mysore May all beings share merits and be PREFACE It has been now one year since Venerable Acharya Buddharakkhita passed away. But his presence is felt in every part of lives of our monks at the Maha Bodhi Society in Bangalore. That was the dynamism he instilled with values among monks and lay people. In the modern history of Buddhism in India, one cannot but refer to Ven.Acharya Buddharakkhita no less than often. Such is the contribution of this Buddhist master, lovingly called by his disciples as Bada Bhanteji. He was truly a dedicated monk whose aim was to realize higher stages of enlightenment for him and also make others to follow the path of the Dhamma to achieve these stages. His dedication was so strong that nothing could stop him from taking steps on the path of the Dhamma, be it in his personal practice or be it with his activities of compassion. His life has been such a series of inspiring events. Greatest of his qualities was to drop all kinds of prejudice, concepts, and dogmas and make the mind empty for the search of truth. So, when he explored true meaning in life, he was able to judge things on their face value without any influence of what others said or taught. This is a quality of true seeker and only when one is so free of all prejudice and concepts can one explore truth freely and correctly. This is what we can see from his life at every step. Mr.Jeik Hyun, of Won Buddhism in South Korea, had visited two years back to make an interview with regard to global peace and harmony. He was so impressed by Bada Bhanteji's answers, and more than that his calm and peaceful personality, that he decided to make a small research work on Bada Bhanteji for his M.Phil dissertation to submit to Gautama Buddha University, Noida. We vi At the Lotus Feet of the Buddha are thankful to him for this work. May he be successful in his endevours of doing Dhamma work for peace and harmony in the world! We are also immensely thankful to Mrs.Poornima Ramakrishnan who went through the proof meticulously and gave some valuable suggestions. No doubt one can keep on digging the mine of wealth left behind by this illustrious teacher, not just in the Maha Bodhi Society but in the hearts of thousands who were relieved from sufferings in their lives. Many more volumes of information will come out. Though earlier Mr.Jeik thought of adding interviews and experiences of lay people into this work, he found out that, it will be another voluminous work. So he has given limited amount of information about life of Bada Bhanteji, which still covers substantial events of his life. On the occasion of Bada Bhanteji's first death anniversary our hearts go out to recollect his valuable compassionate words for which he lived and worked 'Jotetu Buddha sasanam, Bharatasmim ratthasmim May the Light of the Dispensation of the Buddha illuminate this land called Bharat, India.' Let us rededicate ourselves with higher vigor to walk on the path he taught. He was clear in his words that only when one practices himself or herself can he/she be of helpful to others. He used to tell so often that just a signboard that 'I am a Buddhist' is not enough. One becomes real follower of Lord Buddha only by practicing his teachings. May this work inspire truth seekers, spiritual workers, future Dhammadutas both monastic and lay, to live a life of Dhamma enshrined in the Buddha Vachana - Words of the Buddha in the Tipitaka. May all beings be happy! Ven. Kassapa Maha Thera President, Maha Bodhi Society, Bangalore 23-09-2014 INTRODUCTION Venerable Dr. Acharya Buddharakkhita (1922-2013) was one of the most respected Buddhist monks of the 21st Century in the Theravada tradition. He is more known as “Bada Bhanteji”1. He dedicated his whole life for Dhamma and the revival of the teachings of Lord Buddha in its motherland – India. After working tirelessly until his last breath, his only mission was to guide and lead all the sentient beings on the path of Dhamma. He passed away peacefully on 23-09-2013 at Maha Bodhi Society, Bangalore and it was the same place where he worked hard to spread the teachings of Dhamma throughout his life. I met him personally in March 2012 for an interview on the movement of United Religion when I was a student of the Asia Pacific leadership program at the East-West Center in Hawaii, USA. I have never forgotten his smiling face and his compassionate attitude during the interview. While taking the interview he first advised me for a short meditation time saying, “Before talking about peace, first you must be a peaceful person within yourself.” I have always cherished Bada Bhante’s advice. When I met him in 2012, I did not know much about him. But when I attended his funeral ceremony, I realized that he was a great spiritual teacher and a social reformer of India. At Bangalore during his funeral ceremony, I had got the opportunity to read a pamphlet prepared for the funeral ceremony, written by his disciple Ven. Ananda Bhante, who is also the Secretary of Maha Bodhi Society, Bangalore. From the writing, I came to Bada Bhanteji Bada is a hindi word which means elder or big. Bhante is the pali word for Buddhist monk. Ji is again a hindi word which is the honorific form equivalent to sir in English. 2 At the Lotus Feet of the Buddha know about his spiritual journey that began from a very young age to becoming a Buddhist monk, and engaging himself in various social activities. I thought if Buddha reappears in this world then he would do the same thing that Bada Bhanteji has done throughout his life. Dawn of revival of Buddhism in India had started in 1784 by Asiatic society. On 15 January 1784, Sir William Jones founded the Asiatic Society in Calcutta.2 The Society has a museum of its own which possesses a rock edict of Asoka (c. 250 BCE) and a significant collection of copper plate inscriptions, coins, sculptures, manuscripts and archival records.3 The best-known Brahmi4 inscriptions are the rock-cut edicts of Ashoka in north- central India, dated to 250-232 BCE. James Prinsep, who was the founding editor of the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, deciphered the script in 1837.5 Through this decipherment, Buddha’s holy places such as Bodh-Gaya, Kushinagar, Sarnath, and Rumnindei etc were excavated. In July 1879, The Light of Asia6, subtitled The Great Renunciation, was published by Edwin Arnold in London. In 1885, Sir Edwin Arnold, Editor of “The Telegraph”, published a few articles, drawing the attention of the 2. “The Asiatic Society”, Wikipedia: The free Encyclopedia. Mitra S. K. May 2013. Web. Accessed on 1 May 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TheAsiaticSociety>. 3. Ibid, “The Asiatic Society” 4. Brāhmī is the modern name given to the one of the oldest scripts used on the Indian Subcontinent and in Central Asia, during the final centuries BCE and the early centuries CE. “Brahmi script”, Wikipedia: The free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. May 2011. Web. Accessed on 1 May 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bramiscript>. 5. “James Princep”, Wikipedia: The free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Web. Accessed on 1 May 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JamesPrincep>. 6. In the form of a narrative poem, the book endeavors to describe the life and time of Prince Gautama Siddhartha, who after attaining enlightenment became The Buddha, The Awakened One. The book presents his life, character, and philosophy, in a series of verses. It is a free adaptation of the Lalitavistara. “The Light of Asia”, Wikipedia: The free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Web. Accessed on1 May 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thelightofasia>. Venerable Dr. Acharya Buddharakkhita 3 Buddhists to the deplorable conditions of the Bodh-Gaya Temple and its surroundings.7 Anagarika Dhammapala’s trip to Bodh-Gaya was inspired by an 1885 visit there by Sir Edwin Arnold who soon started advocating for the renovation of the site and its return to Buddhist care.8 He visited Bodh-Gaya on 22nd January 1891. His heart broke when he saw the appalling conditions of these holy spots; with absolute dedication he resolved to start his great mission for the restoration of Bodh-Gaya Temple and regeneration of Buddhism in the land of its birth.9 “It was on April 29, 1933 that Anagarika Dhammapala passed away at Saranath at the age of 69 at the Mulagandakuti Vihara, where he spent his last days.